A Parish of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton
SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH
Holy Mass
Weekdays Tuesday - Friday 09.30
Saturday Vigil Mass 18.00, Sunday 09.00 & 11.00
Reconciliation available Saturday 17.00-17.30
Please check our weekly newsletter for any changes to the schedule
The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . Another full-on time this week around The Presbytery, as we prepare for our annual period of extended Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and final preparations for our younger members to receive the Eucharist for the first time . . . . . After Morning Prayer, Mass, and Exposition on Tuesday Fr D was making an early start on his parts of the newsletter as he knew that the rest of the week was fairly full. He also spent time preparing the last session with parents before their children receive the Lord for the first time in the Eucharist (June 14th). In the afternoon Fr D continued working on the Parish Calendar for all the Sacramental Programmes for the next year (2026-7), trying to fit them around school holidays and his own diary. In the evening he met with the First Eucharist parents for the last time before the ‘Big Day!’ On Wednesday following Morning Prayer and Mass Fr D pulled together the last pieces of information for the Parish Calendar and began the work of producing the next year’s Application Forms (Baptism, First Reconciliation and First Eucharist). In the early evening Fr D had his last ‘input’ evening with our newly confirmed youngsters, reflecting on the course and the celebration of the sacrament and looking forward to ‘What’s Next.’ After Morning Prayer and Mass on Thursday Fr D was off in the car to the diocesan offices at Crawley where he wrote up two marriage case sentences that had been judged a couple of weeks ago before starting the work on another case which he will call a judgement session for later. At the present moment in time the Tribunal has received as many cases this year so far as the whole of last year produced! When he returned in the late afternoon he finished up the last of his parts of the newsletter ready to hand the rest over to Sarah in the Parish Office. Following Morning Prayer and Mass on Friday morning Fr D made preparations for meeting with the family of a parishioner whose requiem will be celebrated here in a couple of weeks time. Whilst working in his office in the morning Fr D also emailed the church lighting engineers to schedule ‘phase two’ of the new church lighting system (this will involve the following: new LED units to light the Stations of the Cross; new LED lighting units for the wall wash lights; new LED fittings for the Altar; an LED reading lamp for the Ambo; new LED units for the ‘Quiet Room;’ a new LED unit for lighting the Stained glass window; and the Organ area lighting) . . . .
The Gospel reading today picks up partway through a dispute between Jesus and some quarrelling Jews. Jesus told them bluntly, “I am the bread of life... who ever eats of this bread will live forever” (6:35). The Jews, of course, are confused when they imagine literally chewing on someone’s flesh and drinking his blood. We can understand this confusion when we as Catholics teach children about this mystery of the Eucharist. In their literal way of understanding, kids are confused too about how bread and wine could possibly be Jesus’ body and blood. As adults, though, we can move beyond a need for literal understanding (how can the consecrated host be Jesus’ body if it still looks and tastes like bread?) to try to accept a mystery that our minds will never be able to explain. In the same way, we recognize that Jesus worked miracles of healing that science can’t explain, and we believe that he rose from the dead even though everything else in our lives tells us that would be impossible. A few verses after today’s passage, the Gospel writer tells us that “many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him” (Jn. 6:66) because of this difficult teaching. Others, like Simon Peter, chose to stay with Jesus. The difference between those who turned away and those who stayed was one of being willing to take a leap beyond rational understanding. The Israelites who were given manna in the desert took a leap of faith and chose to eat it - and they survived because of it. They could have left it on the ground and starved to death because they couldn’t under stand where it appeared from or what it was. In the same way today, Jesus offers us himself - in the Eucharist, in scripture, and the physical company of believers, “the body of Christ.” We can open ourselves to receiving the food he sends us, or we can refuse it because we don’t understand it. Questions of the week How has God fed you during a lean time in the past? What blessings did God send that got you through your desert? Is it easy or hard for you to get past trying to understand Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist on a rational level? In what ways?
On this feast of the Most Holy Trinity, otherwise known as Trinity Sunday, each reading points to different aspects of God’s identity. The first reading recounts the glimpse of the creator God whom Moses encountered on Mount Sinai: a “merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians reminds us of the gifts that each person of the Trinity has to offer us: “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.” In the Gospel reading, John tells us of a God who loves us so much that he allowed his Son to leave his side and come into our world to experience human life. The Gospel passage begins with the famous verse referenced on placards in the crowds at popular sporting events: John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” Martin Luther, the force behind the Protestant Reformation, called this verse “the Gospel in miniature.” Note that John’s view of God’s love and desire for salvation extends to the entire world. God so loved all of humanity that he sent his only Son, not “God so loved the Jews,” or the “early Jewish-Christians,” or the “Christians” who came after the Resurrection. This was a new way of thinking for many believers in Jesus’ time who were locked into a mindset of an “in group” and an “out group.” Even today, many religious traditions can be very exclusive. If you are in the “out group” there isn’t much chance of working your way into the “in group” except through exacting work. This passage suggests differently. God wants all people to be saved, and God will welcome all who live in the light (as John goes on to explain a few verses later). God didn’t send Jesus to condemn anyone, but some people choose against Jesus and God, thereby “condemning” themselves. God doesn’t act as a judge; individuals choose for themselves to accept or reject God. Questions of the week What does verse 3:16 mean to you: “For God so loved the world...”? Which way of thinking do you tend to lean toward - believing that God is our judge or that we choose our own eternal destiny by how we choose to live our lives?
CORPUS CHRISTI 7TH JUNE (NEXT WEEKEND) EXTENDED EXPOSITION - next weekend we will be celebrating our annual extended period of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the Sacred Heart Church from after our Sunday morning 11.00 Mass and ending with Evening Prayer and Benediction at 15.30. At the rear of the church is a ‘sign-up’ sheet for parishioners to say that they will be present so that we know that the entire time period is covered; please sign-up TODAY! EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF THE EUCHARIST - A reminder to all of our Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist that it is a requirement of the diocese that your commitment to your ministry within the Parish should be publicly renewed annually. This will be done at our Masses at 09.00 or 11.00 next Sunday (7 th June). Please do make a point to sign your name in the sacristy after the Mass you attend on Corpus Christi so that your renewal can be recorded and sent through to the diocese. Thank you.
Welcome to the Parish of the Sacred Heart
The Parish of the Sacred Heart is an active Roman Catholic community within the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton for those living in the environs of Cobham, Stoke D’Abernon and Oxshott. Comprised of people from all walks of life, from different age groups and diverse cultures the Parish is an active community offering spiritual and pastoral support in the Catholic tradition. If you are thinking about coming to live in the area or are already in residence you are very welcome to join our community you can be assured of a welcome, being offered a wide range of spiritual and educational support. We also run a thriving Sunday school providing Religious Education for children from four to fourteen years of age and provides preparation for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Eucharist and Confirmation.
Live Stream Status - Normal Please check newsletter for Mass Times
Quote of the week
"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives
fully is
prepared to die at any time - Author unknown
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Our very latest news updates and information about Parish activities.
The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . Another full-on time this week around The Presbytery, as we prepare for our annual period of extended Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and final preparations for our younger members to receive the Eucharist for the first time . . . . . After Morning Prayer, Mass, and Exposition on Tuesday Fr D was making an early start on his parts of the newsletter as he knew that the rest of the week was fairly full. He also spent time preparing the last session with parents before their children receive the Lord for the first time in the Eucharist (June 14th). In the afternoon Fr D continued working on the Parish Calendar for all the Sacramental Programmes for the next year (2026-7), trying to fit them around school holidays and his own diary. In the evening he met with the First Eucharist parents for the last time before the ‘Big Day!’ On Wednesday following Morning Prayer and Mass Fr D pulled together the last pieces of information for the Parish Calendar and began the work of producing the next year’s Application Forms (Baptism, First Reconciliation and First Eucharist). In the early evening Fr D had his last ‘input’ evening with our newly confirmed youngsters, reflecting on the course and the celebration of the sacrament and looking forward to ‘What’s Next.’ After Morning Prayer and Mass on Thursday Fr D was off in the car to the diocesan offices at Crawley where he wrote up two marriage case sentences that had been judged a couple of weeks ago before starting the work on another case which he will call a judgement session for later. At the present moment in time the Tribunal has received as many cases this year so far as the whole of last year produced! When he returned in the late afternoon he finished up the last of his parts of the newsletter ready to hand the rest over to Sarah in the Parish Office. Following Morning Prayer and Mass on Friday morning Fr D made preparations for meeting with the family of a parishioner whose requiem will be celebrated here in a couple of weeks time. Whilst working in his office in the morning Fr D also emailed the church lighting engineers to schedule ‘phase two’ of the new church lighting system (this will involve the following: new LED units to light the Stations of the Cross; new LED lighting units for the wall wash lights; new LED fittings for the Altar; an LED reading lamp for the Ambo; new LED units for the ‘Quiet Room;’ a new LED unit for lighting the Stained glass window; and the Organ area lighting) . . . .
Last Monday 25th May, Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical letter, Magnifica humanitas, was presented in the Vatican’s Synod Hall. Professor Anna Rowlands, a theologian and Professor at Durham University, was one of the speakers at the presentation. Following the launch event, Professor Rowlands reflected on this significant day and what it means for the Church and for the world: “The day has been pretty exciting, intense and momentous, as you would expect. This is the first time that a Pope has attended in the modern era, at least, the launch of a papal encyclical. Today there was a sense of a really important issue and set of topics being addressed, but also of a real gathering together with a spirit of appropriate celebration of a text that I think is a gift to the world.” Turning to the encyclical, Professor Rowlands noted that Pope Leo has been focused on AI as a central issue since the beginning of his papacy. She explained: “I think he genuinely feels that we’re living on the cusp of a new phase of the industrial revolution, and that we’ve entered a new moment where those same issues, in an intensified way, are now present to us again.” Describing the urgency with which Pope Leo is approaching the topic, she said: “[The Pope] thinks that this is an issue we should have been thinking about yesterday, and I think he worries, genuinely, that people don’t feel confident to tackle the AI conversation. He wants people to feel confident; their expertise doesn’t need to be in science or tech to engage with this issue. We do need the people with those bodies of expertise, but we are experts in humanity. We know what it is to inhabit a human body, to desire real human relationships rather than mere artificial connection with each other.” The central focus of Magnifica humanitas is the dignity of the human person, and the need to ensure “the genuine flourishing of human beings.”
There is a global debt crisis causing immense suffering for our brothers and sisters in low-income countries. Money that should be spent on healthcare and education is flowing out from countries that can least afford it. Complex factors have caused this crisis and now governments have an impossible choice between serving their people or paying their creditors. Often, they have paid their original debt back, but spiralling interest means they will never break the cycle. There are practical solutions are available. Please sign the petition at: www.cafod.org.uk/cancelthedebt
The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . A time of being all over the place for Fr D this week and two requiem Masses to celebrate as well . . . . . At our 11.00 Sunday morning Mass last weekend Fr D celebrated the ‘Rite of Welcome’ for a toddler who will be baptised in June. The ‘Rite of Welcome’ is the front part of the baptism ceremony that used to be celebrated at the church door when parents brought their child for baptism. The Rite enables the community in which the child will be baptised to acknowledge that they are preparing to join the community. On Bank Holiday Monday Fr D had lunch with two former parishioners from Reigate his (first parish as a Parish Priest), one of whom used to be his cleaner. Lunch took place at a local hostelry and many, many old times were called to mind. Tuesday morning Fr D celebrated the first of two requiems this week and following this he went to the Tilt Cemetery to celebrate the burial. By the time that he returned home afterwards he thought that he was melting and quickly changed out of ‘the black’ and into shorts and a t-shirt. It still took copious amounts of drinking cold water from the fridge before he felt anything approaching human again. Wednesday morning saw another blistering day weather-wise and another requiem for Fr D to celebrate. This time after the service Fr D went off to Randalls Park Crematoria with the family afterwards. Once again he was overheating by the time he returned and the shorts and another t-shirt appeared, along with several bottles of water from the fridge. On Thursday Fr D did not have a Mass to celebrate in the Sacred Heart owing to the annual Jubilarians celebration down at Arundel Cathedral. This was an opportunity for all the clergy of the diocese to celebrate with this year’s Jubilarians 60, 50, 40, and 25 years of ministry as a priest in the diocese. After the Mass there was a photocall for the Jubilarians in the Cathedral precincts before a nice lunch in the Cathedral Hall, just along the road. Because there was a reasonable breeze on the day Fr D took his time driving home what he called “the scenic route” - involving no motorway driving at all. After Morning Prayer and Mass on Friday, Fr D had just a few bits to do for the newsletter this week before handing it over to Sarah in the Parish Office. In the evening he went out for a meal with two parishioners . . . .
Parish Priest Notices
Important items highlighted by Fr. Daryl. These will contain news elements & important requests
For administration purposes, it is necessary to cleanse the Euro Car Park database of Registered Parishioner Cars. The last time this was done was in 2021. In the next few weeks, the system will have an ‘auto-purge’ so that all vehicles that are currently registered but have not used in the car park for the last six months will be purged from the system (ceasing to be ignored by the cameras). If you are a Registered Parishioner and have a car that you wish to remain on the system, that you have not used in the last six months – please contact the Parish Office ( cobham@abdiocese.org.uk ) to have the vehicle re-registered. Thank you
11.00 SUNDAY MASS COFFEE Rota Currently we are looking for parishioners (especially those who use the 11.00 coffee session) to consider becoming new members of the Coffee Rota (like any rota, the greater the number of volunteers the less often the same names crop up). This role is ideal for younger families to take part in as well as others (married or single).
The Gospel reading today picks up partway through a dispute between Jesus and some quarrelling Jews. Jesus told them bluntly, “I am the bread of life... who ever eats of this bread will live forever” (6:35). The Jews, of course, are confused when they imagine literally chewing on someone’s flesh and drinking his blood. We can understand this confusion when we as Catholics teach children about this mystery of the Eucharist. In their literal way of understanding, kids are confused too about how bread and wine could possibly be Jesus’ body and blood. As adults, though, we can move beyond a need for literal understanding (how can the consecrated host be Jesus’ body if it still looks and tastes like bread?) to try to accept a mystery that our minds will never be able to explain. In the same way, we recognize that Jesus worked miracles of healing that science can’t explain, and we believe that he rose from the dead even though everything else in our lives tells us that would be impossible. A few verses after today’s passage, the Gospel writer tells us that “many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him” (Jn. 6:66) because of this difficult teaching. Others, like Simon Peter, chose to stay with Jesus. The difference between those who turned away and those who stayed was one of being willing to take a leap beyond rational understanding. The Israelites who were given manna in the desert took a leap of faith and chose to eat it - and they survived because of it. They could have left it on the ground and starved to death because they couldn’t under stand where it appeared from or what it was. In the same way today, Jesus offers us himself - in the Eucharist, in scripture, and the physical company of believers, “the body of Christ.” We can open ourselves to receiving the food he sends us, or we can refuse it because we don’t understand it. Questions of the week How has God fed you during a lean time in the past? What blessings did God send that got you through your desert? Is it easy or hard for you to get past trying to understand Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist on a rational level? In what ways?
On this feast of the Most Holy Trinity, otherwise known as Trinity Sunday, each reading points to different aspects of God’s identity. The first reading recounts the glimpse of the creator God whom Moses encountered on Mount Sinai: a “merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians reminds us of the gifts that each person of the Trinity has to offer us: “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.” In the Gospel reading, John tells us of a God who loves us so much that he allowed his Son to leave his side and come into our world to experience human life. The Gospel passage begins with the famous verse referenced on placards in the crowds at popular sporting events: John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” Martin Luther, the force behind the Protestant Reformation, called this verse “the Gospel in miniature.” Note that John’s view of God’s love and desire for salvation extends to the entire world. God so loved all of humanity that he sent his only Son, not “God so loved the Jews,” or the “early Jewish-Christians,” or the “Christians” who came after the Resurrection. This was a new way of thinking for many believers in Jesus’ time who were locked into a mindset of an “in group” and an “out group.” Even today, many religious traditions can be very exclusive. If you are in the “out group” there isn’t much chance of working your way into the “in group” except through exacting work. This passage suggests differently. God wants all people to be saved, and God will welcome all who live in the light (as John goes on to explain a few verses later). God didn’t send Jesus to condemn anyone, but some people choose against Jesus and God, thereby “condemning” themselves. God doesn’t act as a judge; individuals choose for themselves to accept or reject God. Questions of the week What does verse 3:16 mean to you: “For God so loved the world...”? Which way of thinking do you tend to lean toward - believing that God is our judge or that we choose our own eternal destiny by how we choose to live our lives?
CORPUS CHRISTI 7TH JUNE (NEXT WEEKEND) EXTENDED EXPOSITION - next weekend we will be celebrating our annual extended period of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the Sacred Heart Church from after our Sunday morning 11.00 Mass and ending with Evening Prayer and Benediction at 15.30. At the rear of the church is a ‘sign-up’ sheet for parishioners to say that they will be present so that we know that the entire time period is covered; please sign-up TODAY! EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF THE EUCHARIST - A reminder to all of our Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist that it is a requirement of the diocese that your commitment to your ministry within the Parish should be publicly renewed annually. This will be done at our Masses at 09.00 or 11.00 next Sunday (7 th June). Please do make a point to sign your name in the sacristy after the Mass you attend on Corpus Christi so that your renewal can be recorded and sent through to the diocese. Thank you.
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OUR DIAMOND JUBILEE - VIEW THE GALLERY
PRAY FOR OUR BISHOP RICHARD MOTH
As a Parish we encourage our community to pray for our shepherd, Bishop Richard as he leads our Diocese.
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28th May, 12.00, Arundel Cathedral. Join the priests of our Diocese who are celebrating 25, 40, 50 and 60 years of priestly ordination, to give thanks for their years of service at this special Mass in Arundel Cathedral. All are welcome. [ PLEASE NOTE : due to the jubilarians Mass there will be no Mass in the Parish on Thursday 28th May.]
As we prepare for coming of Pentecost this year the Epsom Deanery will be holding an extended time of prayer for 24 hours. The event will take place in St Joseph's Church, Epsom, KT18 7JQ commencing with 10.00 Mass on Friday 22nd May and concluding with Mass at 10.00 Saturday 23rd May . This is a graced moment for us all to gather in prayer around the Lord in the Eucharist - to pray, to adore, to be silent, and to hold the brokenness of our world before the healing presence of Christ. The event will be divided into 1 hour slots to which parishioners from all across the Deanery are invited to commit to coming to the church and spending 1 hour in prayer. We need at least two people to commit to each hour (so that is a minimum of 48 people across the Deanery). If you are unable to offer an hour you can come at any time for as long or short a time as you can manage during the 24 hour period - and of course more than two people can sign up for any particular hour. Those who are sick or housebound and unable to attend are invited to send their prayer intentions (in writing and in good time) via their local Parish Office and these will be placed before the Blessed Sacrament. There will also be opportunities to pray the Rosary, celebrate Reconciliation, and join in communal prayer at specific times (more information to follow). Sign-Up Sheets will be available in all the Epsom Deanery Churches from next weekend (25 th & 26 th April). For those who would like to attend but do not have transport, it is hoped to coordinate lift-sharing through the Parish Offices of the church where you are registered. Once we have a clearer picture of who may require assistance and who is able to offer a lift, we can try to make the necessary arrangements. As St Theresa of Avila said in the 16th Century, 'the world is on fire' - how much more so today. May the Lord bless all our efforts and desires to bring His Peace into the world. Fr Simon Hall, Epsom, on behalf of the Deanery
Bishop Richard - A talk on Mary leading us to Her Son
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Vocations
Are you feeling increasingly compelled to spend time with Jesus? Do you find that your time is spent seeking him and all things connected with him?
